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How does Scottish Independence affect the rest of the Union?

drdel said:
Unfortunately IMO Mr Salmond is an odious character who actually says very little of substance _ I'd be worried if he ran my country.

The new citizens of an independent country might want to think about;;

Health insurance etc when they visit UK or elsewhere as they would not be in EU or the Schenken agreement
Whether their UK pensions can be paid to a foreign country
Will major companies really want to locate in a small economy with little or no guarantee of a home market or financial muscle
Oil revenue will drop as USA resources from fracking, etc are already pushing crude prices down (<$100) and the 'new' resources Scotland think exists are unsubstantiated pipedreams based on flawed boundaries of international waters and located in hugely difficult (and very expensive) fields.

The UN, World bank and the international world generally doesn't understand this myopic and silly, squabble and that will be very bad for all Scots being led to financial disaster by internally focussed Scots who want to vote 'Yes'. Please don't try an tell me that Mr Salmond is an international statesman when he seems far to busy with self interest.

It is a grave pity that such a serious debate has become debased (just like this thread) by negativity based arguments; As an economist I think the Scots are being sold down the river by a rabble rousing political elite whose self glorification will be paid for by the citizens (heavily) of the new independent Scotland if they vote Yes.
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I think much of the above is well reasoned but why use terms such as 'odious character' 'internally focussed Scots' and 'myopic and silly squabble'? -Those comments can read as debasing any reasoned debate too. If you live up here it is neither myopic or silly, it's deadly serious.

Internally focussed Scots? - perhaps its other parts of the UK that is more xenophobic with strong leanings to UKIP and the right and which is more inward looking? The upper class establishment that still runs the UK through school and Oxbridge connection, double barrelled names, inherited title/peerage and inherited wealth (rather than earned) are more inward looking than anyone and perhaps we'd like to break away from that kind of thing where everyone is born if not equal then far less inequal?

I'm not a raving Yes campaigner I am still honestly undecided but am resorting to social media and foreign news for honest unbiased opinion from all sides on the matter as every UK based paper and the BBC seems really biased to the NO side. Example -currency unions have occurred many times across the world and can work fine either long term like the Euro or for a transitionary period - Canada, Australia, Ireland etc but the way the media jump on and focus on what is clearly a scaremongering tactic from Westminster you'd think it had never been done before. Carney has contingencies in place, things can be worked out. If Scotland is such a drain on and propped up by England as it seems much of England believes why are all Westminster parties trying so hard, through clearly biased coverage, to keep her in the Union? It seems clear (from this forum at least) that its not because you like us as people or value us as neighbours, could it perhaps because it could be the last nail in the coffin of Empire?
 
The sad bit is that everyone is thinking about how it will affect them... In reality the effects of this will be felt long after we have all putted out and its our grandkids picking up the pieces. Salmond may become the first king of scotland, but it will be at the cost of the future of the young ones.

Having said that, I think Joe Public is generally lot smarter than what the politicians make them to be.. so I am hoping that better sense will prevail.

More importantly, those who are indifferent to the whole thing should get out of bed and vote. As i said, dont vote for yourself, but for your grandkids. If you dont vote and the Yes guys win by 1 vote, who will you blame???
 
vkurup said:
Salmond may become the first king of scotland, but it will be at the cost of the future of the young ones.
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Should you not rephrase 'it will be' as 'will it be?' unless you can see into the future?
Not voting for/agin Salmond, voting yes/no for independence, why cant people understand the difference? Any yes vote will require elections for leadership. We have a Monarch Queen Elizabeth (note not Elizabeth II) here already who is half Scottish and half mostly German who is head of state of many countries not part of the UK. Desire for independence and desire for republicanism is not necessarily connected.
 
maxfli65 said:
Should you not rephrase 'it will be' as 'will it be?' unless you can see into the future?
Not voting for/agin Salmond, voting yes/no for independence, why cant people understand the difference? Any yes vote will require elections for leadership. We have a Monarch Queen Elizabeth (note not Elizabeth II) here already who is half Scottish and half mostly German who is head of state of many countries not part of the UK. Desire for independence and desire for republicanism is not necessarily connected.
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Agree max.. it should have been 'will it be'... I think that is an answer that the Scots will have to decide..

Re the republican issue.. I am not least worried about it. My reference to Salmond as 'first king of scotland' was phrasing an emotion rather than the monarchy issue. You can be pretty sure that Salmond will appease the monarchy, the pound and any other thing that he can get away with.

I would defer it back to the BoE Governor Mark Carney's words last week.. saying that that a monetary union is not compatible. Yet to get an answer from Salmond... If you cant keep the Pound and wont get the Euro... what is the currency going to be?
 
vkurup said:
Agree max.. it should have been 'will it be'... I think that is an answer that the Scots will have to decide..

Re the republican issue.. I am not least worried about it. My reference to Salmond as 'first king of scotland' was phrasing an emotion rather than the monarchy issue. You can be pretty sure that Salmond will appease the monarchy, the pound and any other thing that he can get away with.

I would defer it back to the BoE Governor Mark Carney's words last week.. saying that that a monetary union is not compatible. Yet to get an answer from Salmond... If you cant keep the Pound and wont get the Euro... what is the currency going to be?
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Have you actually listened carefully to what Carney (carefully) said about CU or have you just gone on the BT/Union spin on what he said? He said (I paraphrase so to be corrected) that CU was not compatible with sovereignty if Westminster did not agree to it.
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
Have you actually listened carefully to what Carney (carefully) said about CU or have you just gone on the BT/Union spin on what he said? He said (I paraphrase so to be corrected) that CU was not compatible with sovereignty if Westminster did not agree to it.
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I admit I only heard the BBC version where he said it was not compatible if Westminister did not agree.. Considering that none of the Westminister bods are currently agreeing to it, that would leave little room for CU - irrespective of if Salmond wants to it or not..
 
I do find Salmond's stance regarding using the Pound in an Independent Scotland a bit confusing. The Stock comment is that "It's Scotland's Pound" Surely thats only the case when they are in 'The Club' i.e. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Once Scotland divorces it's self from the Union then the Pound can no longer be theirs!
 
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